Stark (novel) - Characters

Characters

The novel features a large number of characters, both human and animal. The main protagonists are an ensemble of humans who form the EcoAction team. The main antagonists are a small group who form the Stark Conspiracy. There are also numerous gag characters, who are introduced for the purposes of narrating a humorous tale, and then quickly discarded. These characters are often animals. For example, Dave the dolphin is born, and Iggy the iguana eats a fly, and all die very shortly afterward. Most of the human characters are derided by the narrative for comedic effect and as a vehicle for social commentary.

The animal characters are usually anthropomorphised. The author gives them human names and describes their thoughts and point of view as though the animal were sentient human. Animals are often portrayed as being more intelligent than humans. Their simple lifestyles are compared with human's, particularly to the extent which human consumption impacts the environment. Late in the story, a camel named Walter Culboon (named by a human character after two of the EcoAction characters who die) becomes integral to the infiltration of the Stark base.